Apple's new iPhone 14 series includes emergency satellite communications capability, but wilderness rescue experts warn that certain users may be harmed by the new feature.
"There will always be a sector of novice or inexperienced outdoor recreation enthusiasts who will misplace their confidence in technology as a safety net that they really don't comprehend," says Christopher Boyer, executive director of the National Association for Search and Rescue. It is unavoidable that some will misuse technology out of ignorance, entitlement, or malice.
You may send text messages from remote locations without cellular access using the newest iPhones. According to Apple, one of the "essential new safety measures we hope you'll never need" is the satellite capability. Experts caution that the feature may mislead explorers into thinking they are secure.
Find and return? drone for search and rescue
Apple claims that the Emergency SOS capability, which will be available in November, will let you communicate with emergency services when cellular and Wi-Fi connections are unavailable. While a message may be sent in 15 seconds under ideal conditions, it may take more than a minute to transmit behind trees with light or medium foliage. If you're amid dense forest or surrounded by other barriers, connecting to a satellite may be impossible.
Satellites communicate via line-of-sight links, according to Jones. If you are in a forest, cave, canyon, or any other location of northern Canada or Alaska, you may be unable to interact with a satellite.
Introducing Satellite Emergency SOS | Apple
"Read and appreciate the satellite communications constraints, or the satellite function is worthless," Boyer warned. Rather of relying exclusively on satellite service, ensure that you have several, redundant modes of communicating or receiving notifications, such as two-way radios.
In an interview with Digital Trends, Bruce Jones, an expert in emergency preparedness for Midland Radio, a company that develops two-way communications and weather/emergency alert technologies, cautioned that "cell phone users will need to understand that this feature will not be effective 100% of the time. I suggest using it responsibly.
Digital Trends contacted Apple for comment, but they didn't get back to them. Not a pass to engage in dangerous activities
According to Jones, emergency calls from people who ignored written or broadcast warnings, put themselves in danger, and then called for aid are prevalent. If you require rescue due to your own activities, you may be required to pay high helicopter costs in various municipalities and counties. "Satellite SOS is not a justification for risky behavior," he concluded.
It has been argued for decades whether more technology encourages riskier behavior. Mountaineers contend that gadgets like satellite rescue beacons, which may warn and direct rescuers to trapped explorers, are a crutch that might put unskilled climbers in dangerous situations.
Without a doubt, satellite technology saves lives. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that its satellites had participated in over 48,000 rescue operations worldwide since its inception in 1982.
Alaska Air National Guardsmen recently helped an injured hiker 30 miles northeast of Anchorage. The hiker utilized satellite communication technology to request rescue. According to Alaska Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Jeffrey Hamilton, the rescue "proved once again the usefulness of a two-way satellite communication equipment while travelling into the Alaska wilderness where there is no standard phone service."
a communications spacecraft in Earth orbit called the satellite lifesaving. Apple
Many outdoors experts believe that the iPhone 14's satellite capabilities can be a useful tool if used correctly. According to Ryan B. Carlson, executive director of the Wilderness Education Association, the possibility that satellite communications might lead to overconfidence is not a reason to avoid purchasing the new iPhone.
"The solution is to adequately equip and educate individuals for necessary safety precautions," he said in an interview. " To improve abilities in recreational pursuits, we need to provide access to training and instruction to make sensible decisions in the environment. A rescue is quite expensive, especially in isolated terrain, as compared to the cost of a day of teaching and training.
Everyone requires several, redundant means to receive and convey emergency information, according to Jones, who also concurred. Calls for assistance and incoming weather alerts both have the ability to save lives. You should also have a satellite in your emergency kit in addition to two-way radios.
Different types of satellite communication exist. Despite being surrounded by mountains, The Spot X stood up. Digital Trends / Andy Zahn
Harding Bush, a former Navy SEAL and the manager of security operations for Global Rescue, a company that offers medical, security, evacuation, and travel risk management services, encourages wilderness hikers not to convert to an iPhone 14. He emphasized that satellite messaging devices may be used to send SMS and email messages to anybody, not only the local municipal 911 emergency response service.
The user can send a message to specific recipients, and the recipient can track the sender's movement and location by viewing a map graphic that includes the sender's location, geographic coordinates, direction of travel, and speed. He continued, "Satellite messaging devices typically have a tracking feature.
Bush, though, asserted that having cellular and satellite connectivity on a single device is a significant technological advance. Because they can always contact emergency services, users will be safer.
A considerable improvementSomeone putting an iPhone 14 to their ear. Digital Trends / Joe Maring
According to Bush, there may come a day when smartphones outperform satellite message and tracking systems as well as satellite phones in terms of features and capabilities. In the meanwhile, satellite-capable devices with messaging and tracking capabilities should be the norm for tourists who venture outside of mobile phone service areas.
Boyer advised against taking the iPhone 14 into the bush and relying on rescue services in the event of an emergency. You ought to be taught how to use a map and compass and always have them on you. Tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back as well.
"They need to have carried the things needed in that climate to be safe and survive," he said. They must have obtained first aid training and continued to hone the essential perishable outdoor skills. Once lost, kids should stay still and make an effort to contact help.
